The blog of the National Peace Corps Association

December 2009

December 28, 2009

On the Friday before Christmas, the National Peace Corps Association held a press conference in Nairobi, Kenya to announce formally the winner of the Africa Rural Connect $20,000 Grand Prize. Present along with me were the Prize Winner himself, Jacky Foo, who flew there from Sweden, and Ernesto Gluecksmann, who has helped to build the Africa Rural Connect (ARC) website for NPCA. We invited press from all over the city and 25 of them attended to hear about the winner and ARC’s online community for African agricultural development.

Ernesto and I first spoke
about the goals of the website, the technology behind it and how we spent the last 9 months building it and trying to reach
out to as many relevant groups as possible to be involved. Then, Jacky spoke about his winning project idea. His project is located
in Meru, a village only a 4-hour drive outside of Nairobi and some of the project leaders from the sisters of Nazareth were able to attend the conference.
I was delighted to meet Jacky in person and hear about his experience on the ARC website, and also to meet the sisters who are helping to put his plan into action. Many of the reporters had questions about his idea and how it could be replicated in other villages.

Later that day, we had dinner with Crystal Kigoni, an American woman who works with Voices of
Africa. Crystal’s mission is to put a solar-powered internet kiosk in every rural village in Kenya. For a setup cost of $4,000-$5,000, hundreds
of people can have access to the internet, which would provide monumental
communications and educational opportunities for them. We think that it would be a great way for people in rural areas to post their ideas on Africa Rural Connect, too.

December 21, 2009

As the United States Peace Corps receives the highest single-year increase in
spending in its nearly 50 year history, that National Peace Corps Association
(NPCA) and its MorePeaceCorps Campaign has released the findings of a survey on
how to improve and embolden the Peace Corps to meet key challenges in the 21st
century.

A key overriding message from the survey centers on the need to improve
volunteer projects and programming. Survey participants consistently gave
high rankings to survey questions and categories that dealt with matters such
as training, improving the quality of volunteers, better matching volunteers to
projects and making sure those projects meet local community needs.

While there was strong support for expanding collaboration and partnerships
with other federal agencies, development and humanitarian NGOs and indigenous
organizations, survey respondents also stressed the importance to maintain the independent
nature of Peace Corps in relation to broader foreign policy objectives.

“The recent announcements of Peace Corps’ intention to return to Indonesia and
Sierra Leone and the continued growth of applications from volunteers are
exciting indicators of the opportunities to expand the number of volunteers in
the field”, said NPCA President Kevin Quigley. “As we begin to grow Peace
Corps once again, it is particularly important that the growth of volunteers is
coupled with plans to improve the quality of the Peace Corps experience,
enhance its impact and develop ways to engage fellow global citizens all around
the world.”

Conducted last October, the Better, Bolder Peace Corps Survey drew responses
from more than 4,500 participants representing a broad cross-section of the
Peace Corps community. Nearly 40% of survey respondents identified
themselves as volunteers who served in the past decade. There was strong
consistency in the responses of these individuals with other participants who
served in the earlier years of Peace Corps.

We also recieved this perspective last Friday from RPCV Keegan Eisenstadt, President of ClearSky Climate Solutions, who has attened previous global forums on climate change:

Roughly 120 heads of state are present in Copenhagen today! It is the last day of the Copenhagen Climate Change Summit, COP15 (the 15th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change - hence COP15). There are still some significant items that have not been successfully negotiated, and that along with the frigid temperatures are dampening enthusiasm. While it is hard to remember the last time that so many of the world's leaders were assembled together, it is not necessarily a sign of consensus.

With formal statements from many of the world's leaders to the plenary session this morning, it appears that the previous two weeks did not lead to consensus on three important points: 1) The stated level of Greenhouse Gas emissions reductions to be taken by each country, 2) The mechanisms for Measuring, Reporting and Verifying claimed emissions reductions, and 3) the mechanisms for financing mitigation and adaptation in the developing countries of the world. These are not secondary elements to a climate change deal: these are the heart of the matter. So it is difficult to think that we have been talking about this, as a planet, for almost two decades - and we are still not in agreement about how to proceed.

I believe a political statement, instead of a binding agreement, will be the outcome from Copenhagen. In fairness, however, I have been to previous COP meetingswhere the outcome has been in doubt until the last second - and some have had successful turn arounds at the very end. I maintain hope that we can have a meaningful 'deal' from this COP, but I am not holding my breath.

On other fronts, this COP has been an amazing crucible of energy, enthusiasm and knowledge. There have been more people here, paying greater attention, more media presence, increased protests (the vast majority of which were completely non-violent), more art, more cultural presentations, just MORE..... than at any of the previous climate change meetings. I take that to be a dramatically positive sign! The leaders of the world may not be converging on policy decisions, but the people of the world are. The writing is on the wall.....the logical extension of this increased awareness of the global citizenry of the urgent need to address climate change will soon lead to either a change in the mindset of their leaders, or a change in leaders. It is a wonder to behold!

As a former agroforestry volunteer, I do have one very positive outcome from these meeting to convey. It appears very likely that avoided deforestation will be formally included in the UN's climate change mitigation process. That means that there will soon be a financial mechanism to reward people for choosing not to cut down their forests. It has the potential to be a watershed moment.....when trees are worth more standing, and alive, than cut in lumber. That is indeed an optimistic thought - and if it works as planned, a GREAT result!

Whatever the outcome, I have swam in the sea of humanity this past week in Copenhagen. I've enjoyed the many languages, sights, foods and cultures and the startling sameness of humanity. We all smile and laugh, we all worry about the planet we leave to our children, and we all dream of a safer, cleaner and healthier world for the future. And hearing Jane Goodall calling out like a Mountain Gorilla will be a treasured memory forever!

December 17, 2009

December 18th marks the 30th anniversary of global adoption of CEDAW – the Convention for the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women.

Rosemary Straley (RPCV Ghana 62-64; Country Director Cameroon 78-79) has been active in CEDAW advocacy ever since attending the 4th UN World Conference on Women in 1995 where she learned that the U.S. had not ratified the treaty. Unfortunately, Straley and other women’s advocates are still waiting. While 96% of the world’s nations have now ratified the treaty, the U.S. remains among a handful of nations that have yet to take action.

According to Straley, “CEDAW provisions guarantee that women, who hold up ‘half the sky’, will have access to basic human rights by exposing discriminatory practices.” She says experience demonstrates that empowering women by increasing their opportunities leads to greater investments in families, education and economic security.

Follow this link to learn more about CEDAW and its 30 years of advancement and success.

Ratification of international treaties requires a two-thirds vote of the United States Senate, so Straley urges supporters to contact their Senators to urge ratification. And, she notes, a CEDAW National Day of Action is already in the works for next March 8th – International Women’s Day.

As we noted in the Summer issue of WorldView magazine, microcredit/microfinance is a “hot” field of interest for many returned Peace Corps Volunteers. Among them, Jason Hahn (Niger 99-01), who recently spent time as a marketing intern at MicroPlace.
Hahn writes:

As a Peace Corps volunteer in Niger, I was struck by the way a little bit of money went such a long way in changing the lives of the people who lived in my village, Senago Kwara. (Though I was also often struck by how quickly my monthly stipend ran out – it was probably due though to my taste in orange Fanta – an addiction for many West African PCVs) I quickly discovered the power that access to credit for the women of Senago Kwara when I worked with them to set-up a group led savings bank. These aspiring bankers contributed equally to their bank, decided on loans and investment projects, collected interest, and earned a return. They did this all with a weekly contribution of 50 CFA or 11 cents. They were economically empowered!

I didn’t know at the time that what we were doing was called microfinance. In the intervening 9 years I learned more about microfinance, and when I started my MBA at the University of Washington my thoughts returned to these women and how I could get involved in empowering them.

I had the good fortune to meet Tracy Turner, the founder of MicroPlace, part of the eBay family. MicroPlace allows people to invest in microfinance institutions in amounts much smaller (as little as $20) than the big funders require. As I began working as a marketing intern at MicroPlace, and saw the number of different funds that they offer, I thought that surely there was a place for a fund dedicated to funding microfinance institutions (and micro-entrepreneurs) in Peace Corps countries.

Hahn worked with the MicroPlace team and approached the NPCA to create an “NPCA Investment” on MicroPlace. He explains:

The Calvert Foundation, a well-known institutional investor in microfinance institutions, manages the NPCA Investment. When you make an investment, MicroPlace transfers that money to Calvert, which then invests it in microfinance institutions in countries with a current or past Peace Corps presence. People can invest directly in the fund by following this link. People can also give gift certificates for other MicroPlace investments to friends or family by following this link.

I think this is a fantastic gift for this holiday season as it allows us to give something unique and meaningful that empowers people like those we worked with when we were Peace Corps volunteers.

2009 was a remarkable year for NPCA and the Peace Corps Community. Memorable bookends include an historic role marching in the inaugural parade and helping secure the highest appropriation in the history of the Peace Corps. The $400 million appropriation was $60 million more than last year, and nearly $30 million more than the President requested. This success directly results from the work of thousands in the community who mobilized to secure congressional support.

In 2009, we lost two dedicated RPCVs in the House of Representatives—Jim Walsh and Chris Shays, but gained two new outstanding members—Steve Driehaus and John Garamendi. In Congress, Sam Farr was a remarkably energetic and effective champion.

Aaron Williams was named as the 18th Director and Carrie Hessler-Radelet the deputy director nominee. Both Aaron and Carrie are RPCVS and former NPCA Board members, who have extensive experience in international development and management and bring a bold new vision for re-invigorating the Peace Corps.

NPCA also helped launch the Service World campaign to significantly expand opportunities for Americans to volunteer overseas and increase the impact they have. And despite the global financial crisis, NPCA had the strongest financial success in its 30-year history. All of these successes could not have been possible without your support and engagement. Thank you. 2010, the start of the 50th Anniversary celebrations, promises to be another remarkable year.

With gratitude and very best wishes for a joyous holidays and a more peaceful 2010.

Peace Corps Connect and Africa Rural Connect (ARC) Manager, Molly
Mattessich gives us an update from Nairobi, Kenya, where she is
representing NPCA and the ARC project.

Stepping off the plane after a long ride from Washington, DC, it felt like summer - the hot wind was blowing and bats were flying overhead on the tarmac in the night; we were happy finally to arrive at Nairobi’s international airport.

Since I served in the Peace Corps in Mali, I was somewhat prepared for Nairobi, Kenya - and what a great city. The people are friendly and the food is great. I wasn’t prepared for the traffic jams, but when worst comes to worst, hey, we just get out and walk.

Today we had lunch with Ben Bellows, Group Leaders Forum Coordinator for NPCA. Ben gave us the inside scoop on expat life in Nairobi, and we discussed the technological needs of group leaders and how we can better build out the Peace Corps Connect website based on those membership and administrative needs. One of the ideas that popped up during our discussion was to organize the member groups to negotiate better rates for their respective online transactions.

Then we paid a visit to Steven Wisecarver, Country Director of Peace Corps Kenya, and told him about Africa Rural Connect, Peace Corps Connect, and NPCA’s advocacy efforts on behalf of Peace Corps. He was happy to learn about NPCA’s offer of free membership to every RPCV during their first year after COS, and of the NPCA Mentoring Program, and will make sure that those materials are included in COS packets. We chatted further about the connections between NPCA and Peace Corps and how we can improve our communication.
Steve told us all about the Kenya program and the projects that they hope to build out. It was news to us that they have a large group of deaf volunteers serving the deaf community here in Kenya, and many of those volunteers graduated from Gallaudet University, a connection to our hometown, Washington, DC.

At HQ, we witnessed a happy COS-ing volunteer receive her final signatures on papers needed for departure and, of course, a Peace Corps pin as a token of appreciation for her service.

Like every day that I remember from Peace Corps, a day in Africa can feel like a week...there is so much to do and each day feels productive. It’s great to be back on the continent, this time representing the National Peace Corps Association.

December 13, 2009

A short while ago, the United States Senate gave final congressional approval to a package of six appropriations bills to fund many government programs for Fiscal Year 2010.The package includes $400 million for the Peace Corps.

President Obama is expected to sign the appropriations package into law shortly.

Thanks to the efforts of Peace Corps champions on Capitol Hill and thousands of advocates around the world, the approved funding level for Peace Corps is a significant step forward:

The $60 million increase in funding (over the previous fiscal year) represents the largest single-year dollar increase in funding in the history of Peace Corps.

The $60 million increase is higher than the combined, minimal funding increases for Peace Corps over the past seven years.

While less than the $450 million requested by the House, the approved funding is $23 million above the request made by President Obama and recommended by the Senate.

Once again, thank you and congratulations to all who worked so hard to achieve this major accomplishment!

December 10, 2009

Federal budget cycles can be a bit confusing because of the overlap. For example earlier today, the House of Representatives gave its final passage to a large package of Fiscal Year 2010 spending bills. Passage included the State/Foreign Operations bill which contains $400 million for the Peace Corps (see page 4 of the link). Final action is still needed in the Senate, which may take up the package as early as Friday and possibly vote over the weekend.

While Senate action and the President's signature are still needed on FY 2010 spending, the Obama administration is also busy preparing its budget request to Congress for Fiscal Year 2011. And earlier this week, NPCA's MorePeaceCorps Campaign initiated its first FY 11 action.

With the tremendous assistance and leadership of 64 NPCA member groups, a sign-on letter was sent to President Obama, urging an increase in funding for the Peace Corps in FY 11 “that will allow for significant improvement of operations and continued growth of programs.” The letter cited recent developments – including the nomination of two RPCVs with strong development experience to head the agency and recent announcements of Peace Corps’ return to Indonesia and Sierra Leone – as positive steps forward by the administration. It also noted that Peace Corps volunteers represent key values outlined in the President’s historic speech at Cairo University when he called for a sustained effort “to find common ground, to focus on the future we seek for our children and to respect the dignity of all human beings.”

December 08, 2009

The United States Congress is beginning final action on Fiscal Year 2010 appropriations.

According to RPCV Congressman Sam Farr, speaking in Washington tonight at a reception celebrating the Peace Corps at the Meridian International Center, negotiations on the State/Foreign Operations appropriations bill have closed. Congressman Farr says the final bill contains $400 million for the Peace Corps.

While this figure is below the $450 million recommended by the House of Representatives, it is an historic step forward. $400 million is significantly higher than the $373.4 million proposed by President Obama and recommended by the Senate. This funding level represents a nearly 18% increase in funding above the $340 million Peace Corps appropriation in Fiscal Year 2009. The approximately $60 million increase would also be the largest single-year dollar increase in funding for the Peace Corps in the agency's nearly fifty year history.

"This wonderful news represents a tremendous and historic investment for a bigger, better and bolder Peace Corps", said National Peace Corps Association President Kevin Quigley. "Our congratulations to the many lawmakers on Capitol Hill who championed this cause, and also to the thousands of members of the Peace Corps community who took action over the past two years. As we prepare to continue future advocacy to improve, embolden and expand the Peace Corps, we applaud everyone who helped secure this initial victory. You really made a huge difference."

Congress will still need to give final approval to this spending recommendation. However, with a current December 18th deadline to conclude work on appropriations, ongoing work on health care legislation and several other key matters that must be addressed this calendar year, lawmakers are expected to consider negotiated appropriations bills in their entirety, leaving little - if any - room for amendments.